Everyone is always to gung-ho on traveling to Bali that they forget about all the other really beautiful locations in Asia – one of those being Malaysia! Two hours outside of bustling Kuala Lumpur is The Banjaran luxury spa resort hotel – a fabulous reprieve from the hyper energy of the city.

With 25 garden and water villas there is plenty of room for any size retreat you might have in mind. And the area the resort is located in is really unique in that it features striking limestone formations, fabulous geothermal hotsprings, unusual caves (wonderful to meditate in!), and beautiful rain-forest and waterfalls.

Personally, after flying halfway around the world my first choice would be to melt away the tightness of 25 some-odd hours of flying stress in those geothermal hot springs! The waters are quite beautiful and they even have Jacuzzi style pools you can relax in. Ahhhh…

If you want your group to experience something a bit different – you can head on over to the Garra Rufa fish pond for a most interesting body debridement. The Garra Rufa fishes really love dead skin and they will gently eat off your dry flaking skin and leave your body soft and smooth. Okay to be honest with you, as a doctor this kind of grosses me out – but hey – I’m willing to try anything at least once.

Getting back to more “normal” modalities – I really love both the meditation and the crystal caves that they have on the property. It would be wonderful to take a group in either of the caves for a meditation or even a healing session and experience the womb-like energy of the place.

They also have an ice bath you can go into (after the thermal springs) as well as a beautiful swimming pool to hang out at. In addition, they have a spa and wellness center where your trip participants can avail themselves of all kinds of treatments – from reiki to colon hydrotherapy (my personal favorite – well not really), or even Chinese medicine or Ayurvedic consultations.

Regarding the rooms – they are all villas here either garden or water ones. All the villas feature:

• A master suite comprising a luxurious 7-foot king-sized bed with 10cm thick “feather-bed” topped mattress, feathered-down duvet, cotton-rich linens and hypoallergenic pillows
• An ensuite seating area
• A patio with private pool, living and dining area
• Private outdoor rain shower and a sunken Jacuzzi with natural geothermal hot springs water
• Aromatherapy body care amenities

The only difference between the two is that the water villas are on a real live canal and it lends a bit of an exotic feeling to the whole experience which is quite lovely!

The food at the resort is a wonderful fusion of Asian influences and meant to support a healthy lifestyle. There is one restaurant and a wine bar on the grounds – The Pomelo and Jeff’s Cellar. The Pomelo acquires its name from a famous Ipoh fruit and features flavourful yet healthy dining. You can even have a consult with the executive chef and wellness director if you want a custom crafted meal plan.

Jeff’s Cellar is quite unique because it is located in an actual cave and the cool lighting adds to the mystique. They have a nice list of organic wines which I think is really great! You can see a picture of the wine cellar below.

So I hope you put The Banjaran on your retreat list and perhaps I’ll see there soon!

To your audacious life, Sheri

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Dr Sheri Rosenthal is known as one of the most sought after retreat strategists for coaches, speakers, and authors — and is the owner of Journeys of the Spirit Travel®, a boutique agency specializing in the planning and management of group travel.

Through her Wanderlust Entrepreneur Community and her signature course, The Retreat Blueprint Program, she has taught thousands of facilitators how to design exceptional retreats that allow them stand out in their niche. She is famous for helping clients plan, fill, and profit from transformational retreats that change lives in a huge way while adding serious income to their bottom line!